New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC)

On February 17, the House of Representatives and the Senate both passed H.R. 3630, which will provide an extension of the payroll tax holiday, unemployment benefits and restored Medicare reimbursement rate provisions. Noticeably absent from the deal is an extension to the New Markets Tax Credit tax provisions, which expired in December 2011.

U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Deputy Secretary Neal Wolin along with U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu, U.S. Representative Cedric Richmond, and Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) Director Donna J. Gambrell, announced $3.6 billion in New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) awards to 70 community development entities (CDEs) nationwide under the 2011 NMTC program funding round.

Senators John Rockefeller (D-WV), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) released a proposed amendment to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus’ (D-MT) proposed mark of the Highway Investment, Job Creation and Economic Growth Act of 2012. The amendment seeks to extend the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) for one year through December 31, 2012 at a level of $5,000,000,000.

Last week, the Hawaii State Legislature introduced two bills that would expand methods for delivering funding to a community development entity (CDE) by allowing guarantees and credit enhancements.

President Obama will release his administration’s FY-2013 budget proposal on Monday, February 13. In addition to proposing funding levels for critical affordable housing programs like Section 8 and HOME, the budget typically provides insight into administration policy proposals for the upcoming year.

Indiana State Reps. Suzanne Crouch (R) and Peggy Welch (D) last week introduced H.B. 1248 to create the New Markets Job Growth Tax Credit. The program would provide a state tax credit equal to 39 percent of the purchase price of a qualified investment, which the bill limits to $10 million per transaction.

HUD’s Office of Policy Research & Development has published the newest report in its series of ‘Best Practices’ examples, based on federal, state and local strategies that increase affordable housing opportunities, apply sustainable features and practices, and increase access to public transportation.

Introduced in late-December 2011 and passed by the Business and Consumer Affairs Subcommittee in early January, Florida House Bill 1119 increases the total amount of tax credits available to be allocated for the New Markets Development Program from $97.5 million to $195 million.

NH&RA member firm, Gallagher Evelius & Jones LLP, has drafted an excellent summary of notable 2011 affordable housing policy changes for the Maryland Affordable Housing Coalition. The memo summarizes a number of federal and local policy changes impacting the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), compliance issues, the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC), New Issue Bond Program (NIBP) as well as Maryland specific programs. The entire text of the memorandum is provided below.

On January 4, California Assembly Bill 643 was amended to include the creation of a California New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) Program.

U.S. Representatives Marcia L. Fudge, Marcy Kaptur, Dennis Kucinich, Tim Ryan, Betty Sutton, and Richard Neal recently highlighted the benefits of the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) program and urged Congress to extend the program.

The Internal Revenue Service has finalized regulations relating to how an entity can qualify as a qualified active low-income community business (QALICB) under the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) program.